Donna J. Nelson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1954 Eufaula, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Oklahoma University of Texas at Austin |
| Known for | 2016 American Chemical Society President; Diversity in STEM work; Science advisor for Breaking Bad; Physical organic chemistry research; Applying NMR to SWCNT characterization; Mechanistic patterns in alkene addition reactions; Evaluating organic chemistry textbook accuracy |
| Awards | ACS Fellow (2010); Fulbright Scholar (2007); AAAS Fellow (2005); NOW Woman of Courage Award (2004); Guggenheim Fellowship (2003); Ford Fellow (2003); NSF Special Creativity Extension (1989) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Chemistry |
| Institutions | University of Oklahoma |
| Doctoral advisor | Michael J. S. Dewar |
| Other academic advisors | Herbert C. Brown |
Donna J. Nelson (born 1954) is an American chemist and professor of chemistry at the University of Oklahoma. Nelson specializes in organic chemistry, which she both researches and teaches. Nelson served as a science advisor to the AMC television show Breaking Bad.[1] She was the 2016 President of the American Chemical Society (ACS) with her presidential activities focusing on and guided by communities in chemistry. Nelson's research focused on five primary topics, generally categorized in two areas, Scientific Research and America's Scientific Readiness. Within Scientific Research, Nelson's topics have been on mechanistic patterns in alkene addition reactions and on single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) functionalization and analysis, yielding the first COSY NMR spectrum of covalently functionalized SWCNTs in solution. Under America's Scientific Readiness, she focuses on science education and impacting science by considering its communities; this includes classroom innovations and correcting organic chemistry textbook inaccuracies, on ethnic and gender diversity (the Nelson Diversity Surveys) among highly ranked science departments of research universities, and on improving the image and presentation of science and scientists to the public.[2][3][4]
- ^ Hicks, Jesse (Summer 2013). "Bad Chemistry". Chemical Heritage Magazine. 31 (2): 40. Archived from the original on 21 February 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
- ^ Appearance on OCAST's science radio show,"Oklahoma Innovations" Archived 2013-07-21 at the Wayback Machine, Nov. 7, 2009
- ^ "Chemical industry hooked on TV show "Breaking Bad"". Reuters. July 15, 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
- ^ Educational Television Association, Nov. 7, 2011, Norman, OK, aired Nov. 11, 2011.